As some of you know I grew up mostly in the Czech Republic with my Grandparents and Aunts/Uncles while my Mother galavanted about Chelsea rubbing shoulders with celebrities (a baby got in the way)

Anyway, fermenting, preserving, pickling are (were more in days gone) a BIG thing... When I was little it was unheard of to have fresh tomatoes or cucumbers for example so Spring/Summer fruits and veg were always either fermented or pickled.

About 4 years ago I got back in to fermenting and have now gone mad with it. Kilner jars and bottles bubbling away all over the place!

Not only are fermented foods REALLY good for you, like REALLY!!! But they taste amazing and the making of them is rather fun and unpredictable.

Anyone else in to this?

Also, does anyone want some Water Kefir grains? I keep giving loads away but my grains keep multiplying like mad!!! all I need is a small jiffy envelope with your address lable and a 1st class stamp inside it sent to me and I will return it all with some WK grains...

Have uploaded some example photos of past brews!

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I admire people who can cook, make & preserve things that taste amazing. Good for you.

I suffer from acid reflux so tend to avoid many things that are vinegary or too spicy, so don't think I'd do very well with any of this, though I used to love pickled onions & piccalilli.... mmmmm! But I know if I ate them now, I'd regret it later! Very occasionally I might but would have plenty of Rennies in stock to counter the after effects.

Happy in Hampshire!

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I do make my own yoghurt but that's as far as it goes. There are only the two of us and we eat amazingly little, so I have stopped most of my preserving ways. I used to do a lot of jam and jelly making and ginger beer making and bread making of all sorts. There is very little tradition is this country for preserving in vinegar other than pickles and chutneys and of course pickled onions. Even pickled gherkins are more of a German and Eastern European thing. I find it quite surprising we have not gone down that route in the UK.